Implementation of Recommendation 61

Report: 09
Date: 10 January 2005
By: Commissioner and Clerk

Summary

This report provides an update to members on the formal launch of the implementation of Recommendation 61 and outlines the proposed Community Monitoring processes post implementation.

A. Recommendations

That

1. Members are asked to comment on what role the MPA should play, pan-London, to support local community monitoring of stop and account and search activity.

B. Supporting information

Overview

1. On 1 October 2004 the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in partnership with the MPA began its rollout of Recommendation 61 London wide. This involved the issuing of new forms, training of key patrolled based staff and recording of the new stops on the Stop and Search database.

2. Recommendation 61 was formally launched on 17 November at the MPA Offices. This event attracted significant media coverage and community representation. Cindy Butts, the Deputy Chair, hosted the event along with Sir Ian Blair, Deputy Commissioner and MPA member John Roberts. Other people present included Doreen Lawrence, Dr. Richard Stone and Bishop Sentamu who were part of the Macpherson Inquiry into the tragic death of Stephen Lawrence. Although Lord Macpherson was unable to attend he sent a letter of congratulations. In total 80 people attended the event including national and London press, television and radio, senior police officers, and a wide representation from London’s diverse communities.

3. The event created significant local media interest with significant local radio and television coverage. These included:

• Sky Radio news which supplies Heart, Virgin, Kiss radios
• BBC Club Asia
• Evening Standard (who also asked for a copy of the form)
• Capital Radio
• Sunrise Radio
• LBC
• Radio 1Xtra
• BBC News online
• BBC London News (TV)

4. The launch was the culmination of six weeks training and management activity across the 32 Borough Operational Command Units (BOCUs) to implement Recommendation 61. Each BOCU has a named Senior Management Team (SMT) Project Lead overseeing their boroughs implementation. As of 12 December 2004 over 13,000 police officers, Police Community Support Offices (PCSOs) and Specials Constables have undergone the National Centre of Applied Learning Technologies (NCALT) computer based training. This is out of a target group totally 17,000 patrol based staff. During the same period a little over 14,000 Stop and Account records have been recorded on the MPS Stop and Search database.

5. To train this number of officers in such a short period of time is unprecedented in UK policing. This coupled with the level of recorded stops evidences that Recommendation 61 is fast becoming a reality for communities throughout London.

Community Monitoring

Is there a leadership role for the MPA in relation to supporting productive and sustainable monitoring dialogues?

6. Recommendation 61 has created the opportunity for communities to be able to have their say in the way the MPS are held to account locally. Each borough was tasked to engage with their local communities to form an independent forum where issues around Stop and Account could be discussed or if need be challenged. Through the R61 Rollout Group the MPA have circulated draft terms of reference to all borough Stop and Account Project Leads across London. This includes advice and practical guidance on what is and how to set up a monitoring group. To underpin this process the MPA using the experience and learning gained from the two pilot sites has created a model for the formation of independent community monitoring groups. This model consists of the following three stages:

• Bronze – fully supported by the police in terms of chair person, administrative support and provision of venue
• Silver - appointed community member as chair and administration support
• Gold - fully independent of the police in terms of chair, administrative support and venue – the MPS would be invited to attend to present data reports and answer queries

7. This model has been widely distributed and could form the basis for the future development of public/police monitoring

8. To date community monitoring groups have been formed within Community Police Consultative Groups, Race Hate forums, Independent Advisory Groups and Local Authorities. Many of these groups have or are considering extended remits and are monitoring other street activity especially Stop and Search.

How has the MPS enabled communities specifically affected by R61 to be engaged by the MPA to communicate their views?

9. During the implementation of Recommendation 61, the MPS has sought to involve as many young people as possible. Both Hackney and Lambeth engage with young people around stops and stop and search activity. In Hackney the Crypt Project creates the opportunity for officers and young people to swap roles. This has provided a unique insight for both young people and officers on how stop and search is viewed from an opposite perspective. The Lambeth Youth Forum have made a video where young people talk to camera about their experiences and more importantly their views on how they want to be treated when stopped by police. Key elements of this video were played at the launch. The Forum has also devised an interactive stop and search game based on ‘Snakes and Ladders’. Again this relies on role reversal where police officers become the game pieces and the youngsters the players.

10. Outside of these two organisations sustained engagement with young people has proved challenging. Territorial Policing Modernising Operations is currently seeking out other opportunities to seek the views of young people around London. During January visits will be made to young people belonging to faith groups in Haringey and a vox pop event in Islington. Closer liaison with Safer Schools and Safer Neighbourhood Teams are being forged in order to explore different ways of hearing the views of young people. The MPA are actively involved in ensuring these opportunities for engagement are maximised.

Central Monitoring Group

11. To ensure this embryonic local monitoring activity is both effective and sustainable in the longer term, the MPA are considering the formation of a pan-London Central Monitoring Group (CMG). Work is currently underway to develop the role of the existing Recommendation 61 Rollout Group into that of a CMG.

12. Key to the success of local monitoring groups will be the value they bring to engendering increased community confidence. To enhance their effectiveness in this role the Central Monitoring Group can play an important part in:

• Providing an overview and scrutiny of the scheme and monitoring its impact and progress across London, through the receipt and interpretation of data, reports and presentations.
• Providing a central forum for local monitoring groups, the MPS and the wider community it serves, to promote best practice, debate and discussion in support of improved accountability.
• Acting as a first point of reference for the resolution of Recommendation 61 issues including complaints. The CMG will co-opt appropriate expertise when required and if resolution cannot be reached within an agreed reasonable time, the matter will be referred to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (EODB).
• Bring issues to the attention of the MPS/MPA, communities, media and other key stakeholders.

13. Initial feedback from those local monitoring groups already in existence suggests the following proposals to augment the role of the CMG:

• Internal consultation within the MPA involving Members, Officer Teams etc.
• Direction on the way forward.
• A centre of excellence where groups can seek support, guidance, training and networking support.
• Central data collection on Stop and Account.
• Providing resources

14. Membership, terms of reference and governance of the CMG have yet to be decided. Seminars and other events are planned by the MPA and MPS to engage with community organisations to decide how to take the CMG forward.

15. There is increasing evidence that Recommendation 61 is being incorporated into the wider work delivering the MPA Stop and Search Scrutiny recommendations. The CMG will have to make reference to the work being conducted on behalf of the MPA Stop Search Scrutiny Panel and MPS Stop and Search Steering Group and Working Group.

16. The MPA are currently evaluating the implementation of Recommendation 61 from the first pilot site at Hackney to the full implementation across London. The report will highlight the lessons learnt and identify any good practice for future joint working with the MPS.

C. Race and equality impact

1. The equality impact of Stop and Search and Recommendation 61 has been documented in previous reports. Each BOCU has been tasked with setting up local community monitoring groups and this work is well underway. There is evidence that a wide variety of groups are being set up often making use of existing groups or partnerships.

2. Of concern is the lack of sustainability experienced by both Hackney and Tower Hamlets boroughs. Both initiated local monitoring groups that were well attended from their respective communities however, over a period of time community representation fell off and in one of the boroughs police attendance also diminished.

3. Local community monitoring has the potential to have a significant positive impact on police community accountability. Although there is some evidence that local monitoring is being subsumed into existing formalised police/community partnerships, the MPA have been keen to keep membership and representation as open as possible.

4. Further work is being undertaken by both the MPA and MPS to broaden the community involvement with young people, particularly from the Black and Asian communities. Youth is a key area as Recommendation 61 and stop and search affects young people especially from Black and Asian communities in greater numbers than other age groups within the population. To realise the full potential of community monitoring the views of young people will have to be heard.

D. Financial implications

The implementation of Recommendation 61 across London has been resourced from existing MPS budgets. The MPA supported the implementation with a publicity budget of £30,000 which funded the publicity campaign including the use of a publicity trailer around the capital .

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Cynthia Coleman, MPA and Gary Lewis, MPS

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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